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Home / World Media / Number of people assumed dead in London tower block blaze to rise

Number of people assumed dead in London tower block blaze to rise

Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 by Abel Norris

Authorities are trying to determine if any criminal offenses were made by the building's managers, with accounts from residents indicating that it was for years a fire trap. But on the streets, there is anger over whether the block's renovation project purposefully did not include safety devices, such as sprinklers, or used banned flammable materials to clad the building and make it more attractive for neighbours in the upmarket Kensington and Chelsea region.

Some Grenfell residents had warned months ago fire safety issues at the tower meant that it was at risk of a "catastrophic" event.

Search and recovery crews have been working in the tower since last Wednesday's fire.

The revised death toll comes as images showing the burned-out interior of the London tower block are released.

Experts believe the buildings new exterior cladding, which contained insulation, helped spread the flames quickly up the outside of the public housing tower early Wednesday.

He also said that five people who had been reported missing after the incident have been found safe and well. He says it will take weeks or longer to recover and identify all the dead at the building. However, there may be other people who were in there on the night that others were not aware were there. "I really hope it won't, but it may increase", he said.

Providing an update on the situation Monday morning, police said that the death toll may rise further. One opposition lawmaker urged the Conservative government and police to immediately seize all documents related to the tower renovation.

He says it may be necessary for numerous outmoded tower blocks built in the 1970s to be demolished because of safety concerns.

British outlets said May struggled to offer support or leadership in the wake of the blaze, accusing her of lacking emotional intelligence and calling her "Maybot".

Public anger has been mounting over the British government's handling of the blaze, with Prime Minister Theresa May admitting that the response from authorities had not been good enough.

He said the group had spoken about their "demands and what we expect".

The meeting is unlikely to quell complaints that May has been slow to reach out to fire survivors, despite her announcement of a $6.4 million emergency fund to help displaced families.

"Tony leaves behind a large family, his wife, sons and grandchildren, including one grandchild he will never get to meet".

The identification of the victims is proving very hard - which experts attribute to the extreme heat of the fire.

Cundy promised an "exhaustive" criminal investigation into the fire that would also look at a major refurbishment of the building completed previous year.

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